Milling Machine

Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:36 pm

Well all of the waiting paid off. I found a milling machine. It was advertised in a local sell/swap guide . There wasnt much of a description except that it was a milling machine. Call the seller and arranged a time to look at it. To my surprise it is a well tooled CNC milling machine. It is a Bridgeport clone,an Alliant which is imported not sure of the country. it is 3 phase powered but there was a phase converter available so thats coming home too. Couldn't be happier. Tomorrow I have arranged to meet with a guy that has a ramp truck to see what is involved with loading it! I uploaded pictures of the mill into photohost in my album idf anyone is interestd in seeing it . There wasnt any power in the garage where it was stored so they ar a little dark.

Re: Milling Machine

Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:55 pm

Jerry:

Glad you were able to find a good milling machine in your budget bracket.

Hope you enjoy it. Looks like this guy has a pretty nice shop

Re: Milling Machine

Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:08 am

Nice mill . I wish I had one in my shop. Maybe some day. Steve

Re: Milling Machine

Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:49 pm

nice, see a lathe behind the mill, looks like you are building up quite a nice shop...

Re: Milling Machine

Thu Feb 23, 2012 6:10 pm

We found the orginal brouchure for the CNC part of the mill. Talk about sticker shock. Nearly $17,000 for that alone. Came with a bridgeport vise,28 collets and the phase converter. I thought that my brother and I were intelligent enough to figure out how to move this. Boy did I underestimate that! As luck would have it a guy stopped and said that he had moved it into the garage where it is currently located. He runs a construction business and given the season and the slow economy he said that he would move it. He has buddy with a 5 ton wrecker that they will use to load it on a flat bed. All I have to do is arrange for a wrecker to off load it when it arrives. Really excited to get it home and start cleaning it up and getting it in working order.The lathe in the background is in the shop where the mill is. I wish that I didn't have a lathe because it would be coming home also.Another fantastic deal on that could be had. There is a surface grinder for sale at a steal $400. The lathe is $1500.I will take more pictures when it arrives ! Thanks Rudi for moving the pictures.

Re: Milling Machine

Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:37 pm

Looks like you found just what you wanted at a great price. Congratulations!!

Re: Milling Machine

Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:11 pm

Excellent! CNC no less... we could probably come up with some money making projects for it.

Re: Milling Machine

Fri Feb 24, 2012 9:36 pm

Kind of a sad story behind the milling machine. The man that owned it died unexpectedly last spring . Has was a retired machinist from Mass. He retired a few years ago and moved to Maine. He had been out working in his shop and went inside to have lunch. They found him a couple days later sitting in his recliner with a sandwich in one hand and a soda in the other.He didnt have life insurance on his mortage so now the bank is foreclosing. Everything has to be out before the bank puts it's lock on it!There is a son but he is on the west coast! He has hired a gentleman to clean out the estate. Thus I got a great deal without a great amount of haggling.Still a sad story!

Re: Milling Machine

Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:05 am

papermaker wrote:Kind of a sad story behind the milling machine. The man that owned it died unexpectedly last spring . Has was a retired machinist from Mass. He retired a few years ago and moved to Maine. He had been out working in his shop and went inside to have lunch. They found him a couple days later sitting in his recliner with a sandwich in one hand and a soda in the other.He didnt have life insurance on his mortage so now the bank is foreclosing. Everything has to be out before the bank puts it's lock on it!There is a son but he is on the west coast! He has hired a gentleman to clean out the estate. Thus I got a great deal without a great amount of haggling.Still a sad story!

A sad story repeated often. Sounds like he died quickly and peaceably. That would be one bright spot. Something all of us mortals could hope for. He no longer needs these things and life goes on , for now. Something all should think about is a list of possessions and approximate value. It helps whoever closes out the estate. But I'm getting off subject. Vern

Re: Milling Machine

Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:57 pm

I told the wife the other day that if or when something happens to me don't feel that you have to take on the burden of getting my possessions sold! Just call the local junk dealer and have him take it all. This is my illness not hers.

Re: Milling Machine

Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:05 pm

Jerry:

papermaker wrote:This is my illness not hers.

First off .. nothing is going to happen and second I don't think she is going to buy the it's my thing stuff. I know Em sure as heck doesn't .. like she said that what vows are for Either way, you ain't goin anywhere so get that milling machine up and running and learn how to use it so you can make us all some really neat stuff ok?

Re: Milling Machine

Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:19 pm

Wasnt entirely sure if I had bought a dead horse or not so I wasn't really all that excited about the mill. The guys that I hired to move it here were awesome. Never had to touch the thing until it landed in my garage. I have a friend with a 5 ton wrecker who picked it off of the trailer and backed up to the garage and set it on pipes to roll it! All set in place on sunday night . The phase converter was quite a sight. The 3hp motor was mounted to a board with 2 bolts(finger tight) on opposing corner and a smaller 1/3 hp motor held down with 3 sheet metal screws. I knew that this wouldn't do so I dragged out the band saw and mig welder to fabricate a new base . Much better!Anyway today was go time and put power to the mill. YES! it does run and is very quiet.Now to do a check-out on the CNC end of things and we'll be ready to make some chips. Really pumped!